Principle
Array Tape™ is a continuous polymer strip serially embossed with reaction wells in customized volumes and formats including SBS 96- and 384-well microplate arrays. Low volume reaction wells in Array Tape™ are common and usually <800µl. Array Tape™ is thin and flexible allowing up to 76,800 reaction wells to be spooled onto a reel 90 mm wide by 560 mm across. Guided by indexing holes running longitudinally along both edges, spooled Array Tape™ is unwound and reaction wells are processed by inline modular liquid handling, sealing and scanning instruments.[1] The tape is then re-spooled for subsequent processing or storage. For PCR-based assays, 3 reels of sealed Array Tape™ (230,400 reaction wells) may be thermocycled simultaneously in a single water bath using standard DNA denaturation temperatures (~95◦C). Samples also may be stored at minus 80◦ C in a variety of aqueous and DMSO-based solvents without affecting the chemical or structural integrity of Array Tape™ or the cover seal.
Evolution
From Test Tubes, to Microplates, to Robotic Dispensing and Plate Handling, the Array Tape Platform is transforming the way high throughput screening is done.
Applications
Array Tape and its corresponding instrumentation provide an alternative to robotically-driven, microplate-based technology. The platform may be used for any single-step, homogeneous, fluorescence-based assay, processing the equivalent of hundreds of microplates on one continuous reel – minimizing dispensing volumes, labor, and maximizing throughput.
Array Tape™ is optimized in high throughput ag biotechnology laboratories for genotyping a few hundred or less single nucleotide polymorephisms (SNP) in hundreds of thousands of samples. Commonly used SNP chemistries for Array Tape™ include end-point TaqMan, Invader Plus and KASPar.
Array Tape technology has the potential to be used for extremely diverse applications including:
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- SNP Genotyping
- PCR
- qPCR
- alphaLisa
- ELISA Processing
- DNA Sequencing
- DNA Purification
- Embedding
- Compound Storage
- Pathogen Detection
- Drug and disease testing
- Proteomics
References
1. ^ Elaine May (2007-06-15). “Array Tape for Miniaturized Genotyping“. Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.): p. 22. http://www.genengnews.com/articles/chtitem.aspx?tid=2136. Retrieved 2010-10-24. “(subtitle) Processing hundreds of microplate equivalents without complex plate-handling equipment”
